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2409.13 - TIMBER RESOURCE PLANNING HANDBOOK
DENVER, CO
R2 Supplement No. 1
Effective August 1988
CHAPTER 10 - TIMBER INVENTORY DATA AND
INFORMATION COLLECTION
13 - INVENTORY PLANNING.
13.2 - Inventory Scheduling. The inventory process is divided into four major work
categories to facilitate budget planning. They are writing the inventory plan,
prefield preparation, data collection, and inventory compilation and analysis.
Aerial photo requisitions are made through Engineering and are coordinated with
the inventory schedule.
Inventory Plan. An inventory plan is required and necessary before an
inventory is started. The plan outlines goals and objectives, development of the
inventory design and the process that will be followed. The plan provides a work
and cost schedule, and outlines responsibilities. Preparation and funding of the
inventory plan is the responsibility of the Forest. Funding will be included in the
constrained forest budget.
Prefield Preparation. Prefield preparation includes finishing stand
delineations where R2RIS (Region 2 Resource Information System) is not 100
percent implemented or if R2RIS is complete update sites to reflect current
conditions, selection of sample stands, and contract preparation, advertisement, and
award. Additional tasks may be required by the approved inventory plan. This
work is performed and funded by the forest within the constrained budget.
Data Collection. Data collection includes training of field crews, collection of
field data in accordance with the inventory plan, contract administration, quality
control, field and office edits, and correction of data errors. Approximately $75,000
will be held in the Regional Office for funding data collection. Funding will be
transferred to the Forest during the year the data is collected. Actual amount
transferred will be determined by the cost estimates in the Inventory Plan.
Inventory Compilation. Inventory compilation is the compiling and
formatting of data to make it useful planning information. It may include
development of Forests' specific volume, or special data stratification, as well as
traditional volume, growth, and stand tables.
Stage I inventory (Forestwide) program planning will be done in accordance with
the following established schedule. The schedule shows a breakdown of the four
major work categories of inventory projects and completion dates and the revision
date for the current Forest Plan. It is to be used for planning purposes, including
preparation of program budget plans. The schedule may need adjustment to
account for changes in funding or other unforeseen circumstances. The Regional
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Office will be informed of any changes so the schedule can be updated. This
schedule has been coordinated with cyclic recurrent resource aerial photography
schedule contained in FSM 7145.11, R-2 Supplement and the current Forest Plan
revision schedule as much as possible.
FOREST
Last
Prefield Compile Forest
(Admin) Inv. Photos Plan data coll. data Plan
Bighorn
1985
1990
1994
1995
1996
1999
Black Hills
1974
1988
1986
1987
1988
1993
GMUNC-Gunn.
1982
1988
1991
92-93
1994
1997
Medicine Bow
1970
1991
1993
94-95
1996
1999
Nebraska
1969
1988
1989
90-91
1992
1998
Rio Grande
1985
1996
1992
93-94
1995
1999
Arap/Rsvlt
69/75
1995
1988
1988
1989
1997
Routt
1969
1996
1987
1988
1989
1994
Pike/San Is.
1980
1988
1988
89-90
1991
1997
San Juan
1967
1989
1987
1987
1988
1997
Shoshone
1985
1993
1995
1996
1997
2000
White River
1973
1990
86-87
1988
1989
1996
NOTE: Area information for all Forests was updated 3/87 for 1990 RPA.
13.4 - Inventory Documentation. An inventory plan must be prepared for each
Forest-wide timber resource inventory or integrated inventory that includes the
timber resource. Before any work is done on the inventory, a meeting will be
scheduled between the RO staff and the Forest staff. The purpose of the meeting
will be to discuss objectives and goals of the inventory, discuss the general
inventory procedure, discuss any special needs and/or occurrences on the forest that
may affect the inventory design, responsibilities and duties, and so forth The
Forest will then prepare the inventory plan. The plan must be reviewed by the
Forest Inventory Analysis unit of the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment
Station to see that the inventory design and procedures are adequate to meet state
and National assessment needs. The inventory plan must be approved by the
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Forest Supervisor, the Director of Timber, Forest Pest, and Cooperative Forestry
Management and the Regional Forester.
Sections I, II, III, and all of A appendices, except A9, shown in the suggested plan
outline must be prepared, reviewed, and approved prior to beginning prefield work.
The remainder of the appendices must be approved prior to preparing a data
collection contract or beginning force account data collection. Should any changes
become necessary after plan approval, appropriate plan revisions must be prepared,
reviewed, and approved prior to execution of the changes.
The suggested inventory plan outline (see ex. 01) is meant only as a guide. It need
not be followed exactly, but all items shown must be included in the plan.
13.4 - Exhibit 01
Suggested Inventory Plan Outline
I. Introduction
A.
Situation. Describe purpose or need for the inventory and the
inventory plan.
B.
Description of Inventory Area. A description of the land to be
included in the inventory. Describe items that are unique to and/or
portions of the inventory area. Normally the gross land area within
the forest boundary is the inventory area.
C.
Goals and Objectives. Issues, concerns, and opportunities that
cannot be adequately addressed with available planning information.
D.
Past Inventories. Review history of past inventories. Describe the
differences between the proposed and the previous inventories and
the rationale for the changes.
II. Inventory Procedures
A.
Sampling Design. A short description of the sampling design
including the number and kind of sampling stages.
B.
Mapping and Stratification. Briefly describe the mapping process
(R2RIS) and what maps will be produced. List the items that will be
used for strata and the minimum number of samples in each
stratum. Discuss the relationship between the mapping and the
inventory data produced.
C.
Sample Area, Sample Size and Selection. Describe the area to be
sampled. Normally this is the total gross Forest area minus other
owners less Wilderness Areas. Describe how the samples will be
selected and estimated total number of samples to be selected.
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D.
Field Procedures. Describe field procedures to be used. Normally
these will be the same as specified in the Silvicultural Examination
and Prescription Handbook FSH 2409.26d
E.
Accuracy Standards and Quality Control. List accuracy standards
and responsibilities for quality control of allphases of inventory.
F.
Area Calculations and Control. Describe control and
accountability for acreages. Total gross and net Forest acres must
be within .5% of published area figures at the time of the inventory.
G.
Growth and Mortality. A short discussion on how growth and
mortality information will be obtained
H.
Defect Study. Briefly describe how defect information will be
obtained.
III. Data Processing
A.
Compilation. Briefly describe how the data will be compiled.
B.
Responsibilities. List responsibilities for the various phases involved
in processing the inventory data.
IV. Analysis
A.
Procedure. Describe what kind of analyses will be required, if there
will be a need for post stratification, and interaction between or
dependence on various other resource data or information.
B.
Systems. Describe what systems or models will be used in the
analysis.
V. Coordination, Schedule of Work & Costs
A.
Coordination. Describe the coordination necessary between
disciplines, organizational levels, and between National Forest
System, Research, and State and Private Forestry.
B.
Work Schedule. Show in tabular form, graphic display, or both.
Include all major tasks, who is responsible for each, timeframe for
accomplishment, and planned means of accomplishment (force
account, contract, project crew, or detailers).
C.
Costs. Show costs of all major tasks, either as a separate or
combined with the work schedule table.
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VI. Safety
APPENDICES
Provide detailed explanation of the sampling design used, the mapping and
stratification process and sample area, size and selection in separate appendices. If
applicable describe in detail how growth and mortality and defect data will be
collected, processed and analyzed in separate appendices. Also provide an appendix
in detail describing how the data will be processed, the programs to be used, what
kind of inventory tables are desired and how they will be generated and other
processing done to provide additional management planning information.